Specialist Paediatric & Adolescent CFS/ME Service

Moving to the RUH site

The service treats children aged between two and eighteen, who need help getting better, and the team has particular expertise in helping and supporting children who are severely affected, or who are affected by more than one condition.

Relocation to the RUH site in 2016

Following a period of engagement and careful review of feedback from patients and other stakeholders, in July 2016 we have relocated some of the services provided by the RNHRD's Specialist Paediatric CFS/ME team from their current location at the Mineral Hospital site to the dedicated Children's Unit at the RUH Combe Park site.

This relocation only affected the service provided from the Mineral Hospital site. The service also provides satellite and community clinics across the South West and beyond, and these continue in their current location.

This is part of a careful and phased approach to relocating all RNHRD services from the Mineral Hospital site to the RUH or appropriate community based settings.

Why did we relocate this service?

The Specialist Paediatric CFS/ME service is a highly regarded service. There are no issues with the standard of care provided and no plans to stop providing this service. Moving to the RUH site however brings some immediate benefits, ensures the continuity of this specialist service and provides the best opportunity to support and develop the service for the future.

The RUH's dedicated Children's Unit provides:

an age appropriate setting including an outpatient area designated for children and young people only, in a secure hospital environment

wider and more immediate access to facilities, diagnostics and clinical teams with a dedicated paediatric focus

the added assurance of an even more robust safeguarding and governance framework

Patients will also have access to a wider range of services, further improving the overall service we can provide. Clinicians will have better access to a wider pool of clinical expertise.

What does this mean for me?

Patients continue to be seen and treated by the same team, providing the same high standards of care. Only the location of the Bath based service has changed.

How did we come to this decision?

Between October 2015 and January 2016, we spoke with and heard from patients, staff, community groups, healthcare partners and other relevant groups and individuals. We asked people to share their views on the proposal to relocate the Bath service to the dedicated children's unit on the RUH site, ideas for how the service could be improved now and in the future and anything else people felt it was important for us to know.

A report summarising the engagement activity we carried out, the feedback we received and the actions we have taken as a result is available here.

Thank you to all those who took the time to let us know their thoughts about the proposal, your participation is much appreciated.